A lot has been said already and sides taken. But I want to underline that both tonearms are of the too light mass kind for the DL-103 which requires heavy effective mass tonearms in order to truly perform as it should. Even the SME if pre-improved is only of the medium kind. But converting the SME is feasible. The Michell 'TecnoArm' is a light effective mass limiting cart choice.
My preference is undisputedly with the vintage Thorens and SME. I have a Thorens and SME heavily tweaked by me. Both do feature decouple design to eliminate unwanted vibrations. This gives them a typical "sound signature" that I learn to love more and more. And this "classic" combo has a lot of evolutive potential if you're of the tweaking kind as I am; a strong point for some.
Yet beside the cartridge wider choice or not, beside if one combo has a distinctive favored "sound signature" to the other one or not, I believe that the fact that one is of the vintage kind, build and looks as opposed to the other "modern" one is where the choice is going to happen. And this is not on the rational side of any argumentation really, but merely on one's preference if ever.
- Cart Denon DL-102 in bakelite Ortofon SPU 'G' type headshell
- TA SME 3009 'Improved' converted in heavy mass with detachable headshell
- TT Thorens TD160 'E' totally tweaked driven by an 'Eagle & RoadRunner' PSU & tachometer combo
- Matts top to bottom: leather, cork, felt & 12" vinyl
- Pre-amp 'Modulis' Isem
- Amp 'Exampli' Etalon 2x40W
- Speakers 12" Leak 'Sandwich' first generation creatively recapped